SOCPSY 2YY3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Herbert Blumer, Scientific Method, Intersubjectivity

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Social Psychology
• Course: SOCPSY 2YY3
• Professor: Kathleen Steeves

Document Summary

Concerned with meaning we create, work with and negotiate and sometimes change socially. Symbols are anything that carry a similar meaning for two or more individuals (dog, cat, ball, language). Language is one of the most foundational system of symbols for creating symbols. Believes language is what sets humans apart from animals. Language is a series of symbols that can be combined in various ways to create new meaning, symbols can be verbal or nonverbal. Burger and lukman coined the concept of the social construction of reality. This is how we come to understand the meanings of the symbols we have daily. This states we are socialized and learn symbols through social interactions. Meanings are not inherent (meanings differ from person to person). The way that we feel interactions suggest has a social construction to it. We learn socially in what situations it"s ok to feel sad or express happiness. Means your subjectivity does not exist on its own.